| | | | | | Remembering Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s Advice “Don’t Sleep through the Revolution” -- 1966 Ware Lecture | |  | Dr. King’s Ware Lecture at the UU General Assembly in 1966 urged us not to “...sleep through the revolution. When the church is true to its nature, it stands as a moral guardian of the community and of society...to broaden horizons, to challenge the status quo, and to question and break mores if necessary.” As we begin a new year and a new decade, many of the same challenges are still before us some 54 years later, and his words may take on new meaning in today’s context. And therefore are worthy of re-reading. The UUA website has suggestions for celebrating Dr. King’s birthday on Jan. 21. | | | | Join the January 12 Kickoff to Mobilize for "UU the Vote" in 2020! Calling Unitarian Universalists to join forces with those organizing our communities and nation to #VoteLove and #DefeatHate. Let’s help get out the vote this year! The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) and partners, including UUs for Social Justice (UUSJ) are joining to “UU the Vote” in 2020. This national campaign will support UU congregations and organizations in activating thousands of UUs to mobilize voters. It’s aimed at fighting voter suppression, and engaging in spiritually grounded, values-based issue conversations with voters and candidates. Join the online campaign kickoff January 12 at 4 pm ET. Register to get more information. Consider hosting a watch party in your congregation or home. Share your plans about your watch party and download a congregational toolkit for tips on hosting (see pages 5-8). Learn about the UUSJ’s UU the Vote initiative. Join our Defending Our Democracy (DRD) team. Contact Fred Van Deusan (fredvandeu@gmail.com). | | | | | | | | | | UUs to Congress: “Do the Right Thing -- Pass Tax Incentives to Go Green” | | | | | UUSJ’s Capitol Hill Advocacy Corps volunteers visited 57 House and Senate offices in December, participated in 22 meetings (15 scheduled appointments and seven drop-in meetings) with Congressional staff, and delivered 240 letters from UUs urging extending and expanding tax incentives for businesses and consumers to cut greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change. A few of the provisions were included in the final appropriations bill but the issue is expected to resurface again in the spring. | | Upcoming Advocacy Corps Schedule: | | | | Mark Your Calendar - Migrant Justice TPS Film Screening and Letter-Writing Event The UU Service Committee (UUSC) and partners at the Massachusetts Temporary Protected Status (TPS) Committee and UUSJ invite congregations to host an event highlighting the emergency facing immigrant community members in danger of deportation due to pending TPS termination. Information on hosting a screening of the documentary film The Last Dream and letter-writing event is available HERE. Following the documentary, participants can write letters to their senators urging them to pass legislation creating a pathway to citizenship for immigrants with TPS and similar standing such as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Deferred Enforced Departure. Or write letters at your monthly UUSJ Write Here! Write Now! (WHWN) letter-writing table. Mailed letters are due by February 27 to UU Service Committee. And March 5 for UUSJ WHWN partners advocacy@uusj.org) for delivery on March 10 by the UUSJ Capitol Hill Advocacy Corps. Contact: jleach@uusc.org | | January through February 27 for March 10 Advocacy Day - Special Migrant Justice nationwide letter-writing event in partnership with the UU Service Committee. (See story above.) January 14 Advocacy Day - No Write Here! Write Now! during January. Write letters on the Migrant Justice issue described above. Consider offering the film screening followed by letter writing. February 11 Advocacy Day - issue to be determined. March 10 Advocacy Day - migrant justice letters are delivery by UUSJ Capitol Hill Advocacy Corps. | | | | | | New Board Member Representing Mount Vernon Church Eleanor Piez has been named the new UUSJ Board member representing Mount Vernon (VA) Unitarian Church. She serves as a chaplain at Goodwin House in Northern Virginia, working primarily in hospice and long term care. She is an affiliated community minister at MVUC, She completed her M.Div. degree at Pacific School of Religion and served as an intern minister with the UU Church of Annapolis and the UU Legislative Ministry of Maryland. You can see a previous commentary for UUSJ by Eleanor on the Federal Policy of Separating Families. Before entering theological school she was a fundraiser and manager for grassroots, anti-poverty organizations, and a congregational and interfaith lay leader who helped to launch congregationally-based community organizing and statewide UU advocacy in California. A third generation Unitarian Universalist, Eleanor is the mother of two young adult daughters. She succeeds Linda Doyle, who represented MVUC for several years on the UUSJ Board. Welcome to Eleanor, and many thanks to Linda for her service. | | | | New Administrative Assistant -- Paulette DeMers UUSJ is pleased to announce that it has a new administrative assistant beginning January 2. Paulette DeMers, who lives in Rochester, MN, is a member of the First UU Church there, and brings a wealth of experience in program coordination, administration, graphic design, and building and maintaining of websites and web applications. She will work half-time for UUSJ. She also serves as communications coordinator for UU Ministry for Earth, our partner on many projects involving the climate crisis and environmental issues. | | | | UUSJ Board Meeting January 25 Our next regular UUSJ board of trustees business meeting will be held via Zoom (video conference) on Saturday Jan. 25, 10am-noon ET. UUSJ members are welcome to attend. Contact: info@uusj.org. | | Testimonial Writers -- “We Thank You! We Love You!” Deepest appreciation to those who opened their hearts and minds to share reflections on “Why UUSJ?” as part of our end-of-year fund-raising. Supporters asked for more on why what we do matters and how it reflects our UU values. Seven writers answered resoundingly.
If you missed any, the testimonials are here. You can also find previous commentaries here. If you want to share your own thoughts contact: info@uusj.org. | | UUSJ Seeks… Are you interested in organizing events, programs, or educational opportunities? Then join the UUSJ Program Committee. Help drive the fun in our events. Contact: info@UUSJ.org. | | Urge UUs in Federal Service (and retirees) to Support UUSJ through the Combined Federal Campaign — CFC #17271 | |  | UUs from across the country look to UUSJ to be an important presence in the nation’s capital, standing for UU values at national rallies and in the halls of Congress. You can help UUSJ meet that need by asking your friends and family in government service, including retirees, to support CFC #17271. Deadline is January 12, 2020. Spread the word at your congregations by printing and posting this CFC poster at UU congregations and meetings. This poster appears as an ad on page 59 of the Winter issue of UU World. | | | | | | Unitarian Universalist News and Events | | | | January 12 Kickoff to "UU the Vote" in 2020! | | The UUA is calling Unitarian Universalists to “UU the Vote” and join forces with those organizing our communities and nation to #VoteLove and #DefeatHate. UUSJ is contributing materials. RSVP & Sign up to Host a Kickoff Party or Event. (See story above.) | | February 27 Migrant Justice TPS Letter-Writing Event | | The UUSC and partners at the Massachusetts Temporary Protected Status (TPS) Committee and UUSJ are organizing a special Migrant Justice nationwide letter-writing event in solidarity and support of immigrant communities facing deportation. (See story above.) | | | | | | | | | Cedar Lane UUs Achieve Faithify Goal for Rosa and Family | | | | Cedar Lane UU Church in Bethesda, MD received the UUSJ Social Justice for Immigration Award for its work in providing sanctuary for Rosa Guiterrez and her family. And just recently, their Faithify campaign was successful, exceeding its goal of $12,500 to continue supporting Rosa Gutierrez Lopez and her family as guests at Cedar Lane. “It is a unique privilege to walk with this former Salvadoran woman, an asylum seeker asked to self deport by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) a year ago,” says Rev. Charlene Belsom Zellmer, an interfaith minister who is a member of Cedar Lane’s Sanctuary Leadership Group “With the slow down in the immigration courts and ICE's unwillingness to accept the filing of her stay of removal, Ms. Gutierrez continues to struggle to keep her family united. Cedar Lane and the Gutierrez family will stand together with thousands of others until her case and many others like it are heard and honored.” | | Engaging In Sanctuary Work? Four UU communities in the United States are involved in providing physical sanctuary. They are in Colorado, Maryland, Texas and Utah. Please let us know if your congregation is providing or has provided sanctuary; or is or has been part of a caring network; or is considering taking action. We want an accurate accounting of UU stakeholders on the issue (info@uusj.org). For example, here is a video of Vicky Chavez with the Salt Lake City UU Congregation. | | Immigration 101 - With Just Our Neighbors | | UU Congregation of Rockville, MD sponsored a well-attended public workshop on basic immigration laws in November, following efforts of two Virginia congregations in 2019. Managing Attorney Angela Edman of Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON) of MD-DC, provided an overview of current laws and different legal statuses. She concluded that the path to citizenship in the United States today is extremely difficult and limited. Interested in offering a similar workshop? Contact Gayle Boyd of UUCR ( gboyd123@gmail.com). | | Want to Join UUSJ’s Immigration Task Group? The task group meets by Zoom on most alternate Thursdays at 4pmET. Contact Charlotte Jones-Carroll cjonescarroll@aol.com. | | | | | | Environmental and Climate Justice | | |  | Eric Goplerud Wins Leadership Award for Climate Justice Work | | At the 6th annual awards ceremony of Leaders in Energy, Eric Goplerud, member of the Fairfax UU Congregation and founder and chairperson of the Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions (FACS), was recognized for his leadership. FACS helps people of faith develop local solutions to the climate crisis. UUSJ has supported FACS with a social justice grant. | | | |  | Ramp up to 50th Anniversary of Earth Day with UUMFE and UUSJ | | UU Ministry for Earth is planning another “Spring for Change” to call attention to World Water Day (March 22), Earth Day (April 22), and World Biodiversity Day (May 22) to engage and mobilize UUs and friends. They will again will collaborate with UUSJ on a nationwide letter-writing campaign to advocate for meaningful action on the climate crisis. Details to follow next month. | | | | | | | | | Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival - Updates | |  | The “We Must Do M.O.R.E. Tour” Continues The Poor People’s Campaign (PPC) continues its 20+ state tour (September 2019-May 2020) calling for Mobilizing, Organizing, Registering and Educating (M.O.R.E.). The tour will lead into the June march on Washington, D.C., where thousands of poor people and supporters will gather at the nation’s capitol to demonstrate our power. Check the PPC main page under events to find details, or connect to state committees. Mass Assembly and March on Washington Save the Date - UU Delegations Wanted June 20, 2020 Washington, D.C. Register/RSVP for Updates Find Bus Rideshares to D.C. UU Show of Interest | | | | | | | | UU the Vote - Nationwide Launch January 12, 4pm ET - Watch Party & Planning Event -- See story above for details. RSVP & Sign up to Host a Party or Event. | | UUSJ Mobilizes to “UU the Vote” | | The UUSJ Defending Our Democracy (DRD) Task Group is focusing on mobilizing for the 2020 elections. UUSJ is partnering with the Unitarian Universalist Association on developing toolkit material for their new UU the Vote website -- a hub for resources. We are updating and expanding our 2018 UUSJ Guide to Questions for Candidates by adding questions for the new UUSJ priority issue Defending Our Democracy, partnering and hosting candidate forums, and “bird-dogging,” a tactic to get candidates on the record about UU valued-based concerns. We’re in the process of updating our mobilizing for elections website and materials, due to launch on January 12, 2020. To learn more contact advocacy@uusj.org. | | | | | Want to join UUSJ’s Defending Our Democracy Task Group? Most meetings are on the first Sunday of the month at 7:30pm ET and held by Zoom. The next meeting is January 5. For details, contact Fred Van Deusan ( fredvandeu@gmail.com). | | | | | | Other Social Justice Issues | | | | | | | 2020 marks the 4th anniversary of the Women's March. Organizers encourage everyone to join in District of Columbia or at a Sister Action near you. Organizers see the Women's March 2020 as a mobilizing powerhouse for women and allies across this country, and build on the groundswell of activism begun in 2017. “We will fight harder than we've ever fought for our freedom. We will build a movement where we will all rise up together. Rise with us.” Info at womensmarch.com/2020. | | | | | | | | | | Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice (UUSJ)
7750 16th St NW, | Washington, District of Columbia 20012
202-600-9132 | info@uusj.org | | | | | | | | | |
